Electrical wires provide electrical transmission paths between a vehicle's battery/alternator and the various loads serviced by the vehicle's electrical system. Although the wires are connected to their own associated components, for much of their length it is convenient to position the wires side-by-side to establish what are referred to as wire harnesses.
To secure the harnesses to the vehicle body and thereby reduce or eliminate potentially harmful and dangerous interference between the harnesses and other vehicle components, as well as between harnesses and occupants of the vehicle, the harnesses are attached to connectors, often referred to as clips, and the clips in turn are attached to the vehicle body. One such clip, colloquially known as a "pine tree" clip is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,368,261.
As disclosed in the '261 patent, a clip establishes a surface on which a wire harness is positioned. A post including a spaced apart pair of legs having retention barbs or teeth extending outwardly therefrom depends downwardly from the surface, and the barbs or teeth can ratchetably engage a hole in the vehicle body to hold the clip in the hole and, thus, to hold the wire harness against the body.
It happens that in the arrangement disclosed the '261 patent, the clip surface on which the wire harness is positioned is directly above the post. In some applications, however, it is desirable that the wire harness (and, hence, the surface of the clip against which the wire harness is to be positioned) be offset from the particular portion of the vehicle body intended to support the harness, so that, e.g., the harness clears interfering structure. In other words, it is sometimes desirable that the harness-supporting surface of the clip not be directly above the post, but be offset therefrom, to thereby support the wire harness in a position that is spaced from the particular portion of the vehicle body that must support the harness.
Accordingly, clips have been introduced in which the harness supporting surface of a clip is offset from the attachment post of the clip. Unfortunately, because of the torque inherently caused by the harness offset, such clips tend to undesirably pivot about their attachment posts. When such clips pivot, the harnesses can be moved into undesirable positions that might cause the harness to interfere with other components. Such interference can cause wear of the harness insulation and mechanical strain on the wires in the harness, potentially leading to electrical fires, occupant shock, and equipment damage.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an offset wire harness clip for a vehicle in which pivoting of the clip is substantially eliminated. Another object of the present invention is to provide an offset wire harness clip for a vehicle which is easy to use and cost-effective to manufacture.